Kisses and Dreams
by iloveromance
Summary: When a storm strands Daphne and Niles in his mansion while Maris is away, he makes a bold move, unaware that Daphne is oblivious to his actions. But what he fears most is her response to the truth. AU version of "A Midwinternight's Dream". Birthday gift for jessie33.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Because of a comment in a review that Jessie33 left on "When Niles Met Daphne Part 1" I've written this expansion story of Chapter 17 in honor of her birthday with many thanks for her friendship and reviews. **_

The rain outside was coming down hard, as it often did in Seattle, but despite the seemingly predictable weather, Niles could hardly believe that this moment was real. It was as though he had died and gone to heaven. Here he was in his mansion's living room, illuminated only by candlelight staring into the angelic face of the woman he loved.

His head propped on his hand, he could have listened to her all night and into the next morning. Funny how just a short while ago, he'd been livid with his wife for calling to say that she couldn't return home from her trip to Arizona. So what if there was a terrible storm outside? If she'd really wanted to come home to him, she would have found a way.

If it hadn't been for Daphne's kindness and selflessness, this night would have been a complete disaster. He'd be alone in this monstrosity of a house, listening to the rain pelting the windows. After what Daphne had done for him, he was even more convinced that she was an angel.

When Niles had expressed an interest at Frasier's on ways to make Maris happy, Daphne didn't hesitate in her offer to make Niles and Maris a romantic dinner. Shed' driven herself over braving the stormy weather and had arrived at his home wet, cold and shivering. He was touched by her kindness and generosity and he couldn't help but feel compassion for her when he'd broken down into tears in his living room over her breakup with Eric. That community college barista who worked at Café Nervosa was all wrong for her of course. Few men were worthy of her and those who were hadn't been created yet.

Niles suspected that the man knew little to nothing about Psychology, sticking to the most basic topics that were found in the simplest high school textbooks. Niles had to admit that he felt guilty for yelling at Daphne when, one morning at breakfast at Frasier's, she'd mentioned Eric once too often. But it was hard not to notice the way her eyes sparkled when she mentioned his name. Niles was no fool. He could see how much she liked him, but the fact that the man-or any man- could break the heart of a goddess was simply unfathomable.

Now he stared at her as she lay on the floor, her head resting against one of his plush throw pillows and looked up at him, telling him her wishes and dreams. Wearing Maris' silk nightgown, Daphne had never looked more angelic. He watched her, listening intently to her every word. And as he listened to her words from the heart, he knew that fate had certainly played a role in this moment.

Never did he dream he'd be sitting here amid flickering candlelight, alone with an angel who was wearing his wife's most revealing pieces of clothing. And he wished he could find a way to thank the heavens above for the storm which caused the power outage. He'd sent his staff home hours ago when the wind and rain had shown signs of becoming worse, leaving him alone in the monstrous house.

Alone with the goddess of his dreams.


	2. Chapter 2

Suddenly he was even more aware of her full pink lips and he wondered yet again what it would be like to kiss her…. Just once. The feel of her lips against his would surely send him into a state of euphoria from which he might not ever recover, but it was a chance that he was more than willing to take.

Their faces were so close now that he could feel her warm breath against his mouth. And at that moment he'd never felt so brave. His heart racing he stared deeply into her eyes.

"Daphne, there's something I need to tell you."

She smiled at him then. "All right."

There was a long pause before he was able to continue.

"Dr. Crane, is something wrong?"

He swallowed hard, his heart racing beneath his chest. "Daphne, I…"

"Yes?"

His trembling fingers brushed against the silkiness of her cheek and he closed his eyes moving closer until their lips touched. It was meant to be a feather-light gesture, but he found that he wanted more… much more.

Her breath caught in her throat and her lips moved slowly against his. The feeling of knowing that he was kissing her, that this moment was real, was the most incredible feeling he'd ever known. Her lips were as soft as satin and as sweet as wine and he longed to stay in this moment forever.

But the moment didn't last.


	3. Chapter 3

He drew back suddenly, his heart racing even faster at the realization of what he had done. He'd kissed Daphne while married to his wife! He vowed that he'd never break his wedding promises and now, unbeknownst to Maris, he'd done just that. How could he have been so stupid? If Maris ever found out, there was no telling what she might do. It was a very real possibility that she might not ever forgive him. But now he realized that he no longer cared what Maris thought.

He'd be a fool if he said that he didn't know that she'd broken her marriage promises to him time and again and he suspected that the stormy weather wasn't the only thing that was keeping her from coming home. And he couldn't deny that it hurt deeply.

However, it wasn't Maris that he was concerned about now. It was Daphne. Dear God, he had kissed her! What could he possibly say in explanation? No words seemed like enough but he knew he had to try. It was best to start by saying the obvious…

"Daphne, I'm sorry. I-."

The clock went off, startling them both and she bolted upright, looking around in confusion.

"What was that?" Niles asked in his own state of confusion.

Her eyes moved around the living room, landing on the beautiful gold and glass timepiece on the table. "Dr. Crane! Your glockenspiel has sprung to life!"

Horrified, his eyes fell to the floor and then upwards, finally realizing what she meant. "Oh, the clock! It hasn't worked in years! We bought it on our honeymoon in Zurich. Maris will be delighted! She-."

His heart sank, remembering. "Maris…"

Daphne sat up and smiled at him. "You really love her, don't you?"

He wanted to lie, God how he wanted to. Maris had hurt him so many times. Daphne's hand slipped into his, making his heart beat faster. "I thought so. I hope that someday some man loves me the way that you love your wife."

He swallowed hard. "Daphne, I-."

She knelt beside him and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for letting me stay here during the storm. It seems to have passed now. I'm sorry your wife wasn't able to come home, but perhaps when the power comes back on you can call her."

"Daphne-."

She rose to her feet. "I should go. Thank you, Dr. Crane. For everything."

Before he could respond, she engulfed him in her arms. He sank into her warmth, unable to resist the feel of her hair beneath his fingertips. "It was my pleasure, Daphne."

"Well, I should change into me clothes."

"Of course. They're right upstairs for you. In Maris's room."

She smiled and kissed his cheek once more. "Thank you, Dr. Crane. I'll be right back."


	4. Chapter 4

While she was gone, he gulped down a sherry… and then another… and then another. But before he could recover from the wave of dizziness that followed he looked up to see her walking down his staircase, wearing her own clothes. And he realized that if he was ever going to explain his actions it had to be done quickly.

"Okay, I'm ready to go Dr. Crane. Thank you again for-."

"Daphne before you go there's something we need to discuss."

Her face held a look of surprise. "Oh. Well, all right. Why don't we sit on your sofa? I meant to tell you before but all of your furniture is just so lovely."

The compliment, although it wasn't his furniture per say, made him smile. "Thank you, Daphne."

As they sat side by side on the sofa, she smiled at him. "Now, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Daphne? About that kiss?"

Her eyebrows rose. "Kiss? You mean… But how could you possibly know about me dream? I never said a word!"

Now it was he who was surprised. "Your… dream?"

She sighed, her eyes holding a faraway look. "Yes. While we were talking I'm afraid I dozed off. I could have sworn that a handsome man was kissing me in a large house just like this one. Isn't that silly?"

He swallowed hard, not knowing if he should be relieved or upset. He'd kissed her and there was no way he could take it back. There was nothing left to do now but to tell her the truth. And if she was angry with him, well… he'd face that when he came to it. But if he loved her… and he _did_ love her-with his whole heart… she deserved to know the truth.

"Dr. Crane are you all right? You look upset. I'm sorry for falling asleep while we were talking. I guess I'm more tired than I thought. It must be from all of that crying I did over Eric. I didn't mean to get so upset, but-."

"I'm sorry that man hurt you, Daphne. It's not right."

She smiled through the tears that welled in her eyes. "Thank you, Dr. Crane. I guess I'm just tired of being lonely. But I didn't mean to bother you with me problems. I should just go."

"Daphne wait. About that kiss."

"Oh right. What did you want to say?"

"The kiss… it wasn't a dream."


	5. Chapter 5

She looked at him in confusion. "I don't understand."

"I kissed you, Daphne. I'm so sorry. I couldn't help myself. You looked so beautiful that I just-."

"You mean that was real?"

"Yes. And I never-."

"Well… I certainly never expected this. I mean… you've become me best friend and… did you just call me _beautiful_?"

Once again, his confidence returned. "Yes, Daphne. Because you _are_ beautiful. I'm sorry for upsetting you but like I said, I couldn't help myself."

"Thank you, Dr. Crane. It's always nice to hear your compliments although they're really not necessary. I-."

"You are beautiful. And sweet and compassionate and you have such a loving heart."

"Dr. Crane."

He kissed her again, tenderly. His hands gently cradled her face and she gasped in surprise. But from her response there was no denying that she was enjoying the kiss as much as he. And when she drew back he took her hand.

"Daphne there's a reason that I kissed you."

"It's all right Dr. Crane. You don't have to explain. I know it must be lonely without your wife. I understand."

"Actually it's more than that. The reason I kissed you is because I love you."

Her eyes widened. "You…What?"

"I love you. Since the moment I laid eyes on you, you looked so beautiful in Frasier's living room. I've wondered what it would be like to kiss you. I know it's wrong. In a sense I'm your employer and as your employer and a psychiatrist, I know all too well that it's wrong to become involved with someone that you work with. But I also know that I can't help what I feel."

She blinked, tears streaming down her cheeks. "But what about Mrs. Crane?"

He shook his head sadly. "If Maris had wanted to come home tonight, she would have found a way. Truth be told, I think she'd prefer to stay as far away from me as possible."

Again she engulfed him in her arms for the warmest hug he'd ever received. "I'm so sorry." She whispered.

When she drew back he saw her try to hide a yawn. "Daphne you're exhausted. Why don't you stay here tonight? I-in Maris's room of course. Feel free to wear whatever you like and I'll see that you get home safely in the morning. I don't feel comfortable with you driving alone at night; especially since that tree fell in our driveway. I'll have to call the landscaper and have them remove it as quickly as possible."

She smiled and kissed his lips; a sweet, tender kiss that he'd remember all of his life. "I can't thank you enough for what you've done for me tonight. But I'm going to try."

As he watched her head for Maris's room he smiled and blew out the candles, just as the power returned.

THE END


End file.
